March 1, 1969 – Jim Morrison of The Doors receives a felony charge of lewd and lascivious behavior and five misdemeanors; two counts of indecent exposure, two of public profanity and one of public drunkenness after allegedly showing his penis to a Miami audience.  Although it has never been confirmed that he actually exposed himself, he did say, “You want to … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 1 in Classic Rock →

January 23, 2004 – David Palmer, former keyboardist for Jethro Tull, announces he has had a sex change and is now known as Dee Palmer. Palmer was born with genital ambiguity, assigned male at birth, and said her desire to change sex had been an “open secret” in the music business for many years. She did not have her sex change operation until the … Continue reading CDJ Today: January 23 in Classic Rock →

December 30, 1999 – George Harrison and his wife Olivia are attacked when an intruder breaks into their home in England. Olivia beats off the attacker with a lamp, but Harrison is stabbed repeatedly in the chest and admitted to the hospital with a collapsed lung and various minor stab wounds.  Police later arrest a fan from Liverpool who nursed an irrational … Continue reading CDJ Today: December 30 in Classic Rock →

Women comprise over 50% of the general population, but they’re seriously underrepresented in the world of classic rock. So in honor of International Women’s Day next month, we’re celebrating eleven women who changed the face of rock music. Whether by luck, perseverance, songwriting, or just true raw talent, these trailblazers conquered the rough waters of … Continue reading 11 Badass Women Who Changed the Face of Rock Music →

Since 1959, all the way back when Domenico Modugno swept the Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories with “Nel Blu Dipinto Blu (Volare)” (in Italian no less!), the Recording Academy has awarded more than 8,000 Grammy Awards to a wide variety of artists.  The Beatles were the first rock band to … Continue reading You Won’t Believe This List of Rock Artists Who Have Never Won a Grammy →

A new exhibit will open at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this month. Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll explores the history of the instruments that have “inspired the musicians and made possible the songs we know and love.” The Play It Loud exhibit, which was previously on display at … Continue reading New Rock Hall Exhibit ‘Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll’ to Open this Month →

What makes a great autobiography? Honesty, great stories, and the willingness of the author to really go deep. The following books have either stood the test of time, or have recently topped the charts and gotten enthusiastic reviews from critics and fans alike.  Sadly, two of our choices feature artists who have passed – David Bowie and … Continue reading 10 Great Classic Rock Autobiographies You Need to Read →

Iconic songwriter and ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne will be honored at the 36th annual ASCAP Pop Awards next month alongside punk/pop pioneers Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke of Blondie and pop/alternative phenomenon Billie Eilish. Lynne will be presented with the prestigious Founders award at the May 16th ceremony. ASCAP Chairman of the Board … Continue reading Jeff Lynne to Receive the Prestigious ASCAP Founders Award →

Rock stars are just like us! They trip, they fall, and they lose focus – but their mistakes happen in front of live audiences, rather than in the home living room. Here are some of the most famous fails onstage. 10 David Bowie In 2004, David Bowie was playing a set in Oslo, Norway when … Continue reading Top 10 Worst Rock Star Fails →

Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Ringo Starr, Patti Smith and Yoko Ono have come together with 200 other rock legends and cultural heroes to declare We Are Not Afraid, in a new video targeted to raise funds for victims of religious and political violence around the world. Creator/organizer Steve Weitzman says We Are … Continue reading Richards, Plant, Springsteen and More Come Together for ‘We Are Not Afraid’ Campaign [WATCH] →

Patti Smith performed at a Dylan-less Nobel Prize Ceremony on Saturday, and while she slipped up on some of the lyrics to Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” Smith apologized, admitting she was “so nervous”. And we can’t really blame her, given the occasion. Although Bob Dylan himself did not attend to accept his Nobel … Continue reading Watch Patti Smith Perform Bob Dylan Tune at Nobel Prize Ceremony →